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ISU to host Hate Crimes Town Hall Meeting March 25

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State University honors students will host a town hall meeting focusing on bias motivated crimes from 6-7:30 p.m. March 25 in the Heritage Ballroom.

Indiana is one of four states that do not have hate crime laws on the books. Recent efforts to propose hate crimes legislation in Indiana will be discussed.

During the recent session, two bills were proposed addressing the issue -- House Bill 1076, authored by Rep. Greg Porter and co-authored by Ralph Foley, Jon Elrod, and Clyde Kersey and Senate Bill 0306, introduced by Sen. Tim Lanane. Both bills were defeated.

The proposed legislation would have defined a bias crime as one committed knowingly or intentionally to an individual or their property because of the color, creed, disability, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex of the injured individual or the owner or occupant of the property.

Speakers from both sides of the issue will present information to the public and audience members will be given opportunity to make comments and ask questions.

The event is being organized by honors students enrolled in the general honors seminar â€œCitizenship and Civility.â€